Chapter Text
Renjun sighs as she flicks through the pages of her botany notes, staring at the drawing she'd done of a cut stem. Rose physiology she'd done last week in an attempt to bring herself some kind of normalcy she hasn't had in some time. Now she's reminded that it isn't fun to read once it's finish, she should've just wasted time with Taeyong instead. It would've been way more fun learning a new potion, or looking through Taeyong's spell book she doesn't use. "Yang would like burning this."
"Burning what?" Renjun slams the book shut before hugging it to her chest as tight as she can. "When did you get here?" She looks over her shoulder, frowning deeper when she actually sees Chenle. She had been enjoying her time away from her.
"I just got back from going out with.. Ten and Dejun," she moves to sit on her bed, leaning back on her hands. Her ginger hair now bleached to the prettiest blonde, trimmed to her shoulder blades. "Ten pulled us around all over since Taeyong hasn't been home to give us times to be back by, and she convinced me to go back blonde." She raises her brow when Renjun shoves the book under her pillow. "Does it look good?"
Renjun's makes a point to look away from her, "I can't believe you've just moved on after what you did." "I didn't do anything." Chenle doesn't stop smiling, seemingly unbothered by the accusation. "Stop lying, when it's just the two of us here." She shifts to lay on her hip, holding her head up with her knuckles. "I don't get you, Renjun."
Chenle narrows her eyes as if attempting to look at it from another angle, "If it bothers you so much, just bring him back to life." It's like the equivalent of being swore at, it makes her feel uncomfortable in her skin and her tongue sour. Chenle likes to talk about bringing people back to life like it was an easy task or just a casual activity done by friends. "You brought yourself back."
This is something else that grates Renjun's nerves beyond belief. Chenle likes to make it seem like she did it so easily. She likes to completely disregard the part where Renjun doesn't know how she did it. She can't remember it no matter how much she tries to, even after three long years of trying to figure it out.
If she were able to pinpoint how, the idea of ending up in a grave again would be less frightening.
"It's not the same," Renjun murmurs, hugging one of her legs to her chest as her cat walks into the room. Chenle stares at Lazarus as he hops on the bed and into Renjun's arms. "Then, think of it as the same as bringing that ugly cat back life." Lazarus glares in Chenle's direction until Renjun pets him along the scar on his head. Chenle murmurs something about him being scary. "Don't listen to her, you're very handsome," Renjun coos before kissing his ear and letting him loose. Chenle rolls her eyes, waving her hand at the door once the cat was out the room. The door shuts and locks in response.
"I don't get why you act like it's so serious," Renjun puts her hands over her ears, "you acted like I killed your knight in shining armor that night." Chenle looks as if she contemplates doing something and decides against it last minute. "If you miss him so much, why don't you just kill yourself? This won't be a problem to deal with anymore if you do."
Renjun swallows down whatever noise attempted to crawl up, she really wished that Chenle would just shut up. It makes her wonder if being dead was better than this, it gets tiring when she can't avoid it. She doesn't understand why anything Chenle says feels like a particularly deep cut, something that makes it easy for her to touch the softness of her insides. No one else does it. "I don't get what you get out of being like this, you're just malicious for no reason."
"I'm not, you're just soft and that's not my fault. Jaemin would be able to handle it." Chenle shrugs, biting her nail, "She would've laughed actually."
"We both know you wouldn't say that to her." Chenle doesn't bothers to hide her grin. "I still think you need thicker skin, Renjun."
Renjun dreams of sucking the life out of Chenle and never giving it back, she'd let her really get the experience of being dead. That's what Renjun wanted more than anything. Chenle would get to see how the repetition was suffocating, not able to prepare for it. Renjun's only told Taeyong what it was like after struggling to sleep for several nights above ground.
She wonders what Hell would like for someone like Chenle Zhong. Customer service, maybe.
"I'm not bring him back because he can't say if he wants to, it's not fair." Chenle scoffs in disbelief, finally pushing herself up. She ends up standing over Renjun in a sorry attempt at intimidation. Chenle isn't scary and she won't be the first thing to frighten her since dying. "Yeah, well, what about the animals?" She presses her finger into Renjun's lips when they part to argue, "By your logic, they don't get a choice either. Besides, who wouldn't want to come back when their life was taken too early? Guys in frats are supposed to die from DUIs, not telekinetic accidents, right?"
Renjun's brows furrow, really just absorbing what was just said. She'd frown deeper if she could when Chenle gets a satisfied look. "I'm not the one that killed four guys because I was mad that one of them turned me down." Renjun murmurs, looking down at her lap, " You need to get over your past fame, no one cares about someone who lost their singing career after a "freak accident." People tend to like when you don't act like you're above them." She isn't pleased when Chenle huffs, there wasn't much effort in her insult. Nothing to be satisfied about when it's just the truth.
"And I told you, I didn't even want to go to that party. I went because you didn't want to be alone after Donghyeok dropped you for Jaemin last minute," Renjun sighs quietly, "All to leave me for some twig who looked like they could barely hold a football." She whines when Chenle pushes her back into the mattress, straddling her with all of her weight to keep her down. Renjun found it easier to be compliant in these moments.
"C'mon Renjunnie, don't complain so much." Chenle hums, running her hands up Renjun's forearms to press her wrists down. Her grip is just tight enough that Renjun can feel the tips of her nails press into her skin. "I was hoping that you'd find someone, and maybe, finally lose your virginity." She struggles to keep her smile down when Renjun turns bright red, even as she sighs sympathetically. "I'm sorry that I got so emotional that I got in the way… I promise I won't let it happen again."
Chenle bites her lip, that can't be all she wants to say. Renjun can't imagine it, not when she's finally vulnerable and belly up. "I could strangle you now." Renjun lets out a pitiful noise. "I wouldn't have to use my hands to make you turn into a violet." She presses her thighs closer together, embarrassed by how much she gets flustered by the thought.
Chenle starts to lean into her space, her bangs tickling Renjun's forehead. She turns her face when she starts to feel her breath on her skin. Before Chenle can say anything else, Jaemin finally gets the door open and drops her bobby-pin. "I didn't think Renjun was serious when she started thinking about you on top of her." She snickers when Chenle glares at her, smiling wider when Donghyeok peeks into the room with a gasp.
"You two are fucking without me?" "No!" Renjun yells unnecessarily loud, making Doyoung shout from down the hall, "Stop yelling!" She's irritated, but she's always irritated as of recently.
Jaemin shakes her head when Donghyeok pushes her out of the way to get a better view of their compromising situation. "You should get off her." Jaemin suggests, deciding to take pity on Renjun. "Yeah Lele, you're gonna make Renjun faint."
Chenle turns her attention back to Renjun, forcing her to meet her eyes without moving her hands. "I'll make her faint," she grins, "I'm sure she'd like that too." Renjun really hopes that Jaemin can hear her mental pleas for her to get Chenle away from her, she feels far too close to combusting.
"Alright kitty," Jaemin coos as she pulls Chenle off of Renjun, "don't strangle our precious Renjun, okay? Imagine just how upset Taeyong will be to see her hurt, or worse, dead. She'll be very disappointed, right?" Chenle lets herself go limp in Jaemin's hold, much like a guilty cat. All she manages is a huff as they walk out of the room, Donghyeok shutting the door as they go.
Renjun doesn't care if Jaemin has to use Taeyong scolding them to make Chenle stop, not that it should be more important than her being dead, but anything to make that stop. "God Renjun, can you be anymore obvious?" She tries to ignore the way Jaemin snickers in her head. She doesn't know anything, she isn't being obvious about anything. Jaemin isn't all knowing just because she can read minds.
She kicks off her shorts in mild frustration, then pulling off her shirt as she walks into their shared bathroom. She gets in the shower while the water's still cold, shivering even though she wishes she would've waited. She likes reason that the freezing water makes her stop panicking, and it does, but in moments like this it isn't worth it. She leans against the wall, sighs when warmth finally rains on her.
She lets her shame run down the drain with the water, moving on to think about the situation with Mark.
It wouldn't be wrong to bring him back, no, it is technically the right thing to do. He's like the human equivalent of roadkill, and Lazarus loves his second chance at life. She just hates the idea of bring someone back to life out of selfish desire, which she can't deny this being. She likes to think that she fell for Mark at first sight, but it was more like after spending the night with him. Renjun shakes her head before moving to wash herself properly, ignoring everything else for the moment.
She gets into bed once she's dry, giving the issue one more consideration. The only reason she wouldn't do it is because she doesn't want Chenle to be right. Otherwise, Mark is the perfect guy. Dreamy to be exact, the kind of guy that she's been hoping to meet since she was a teenager. Sweet, humble, extra polite, and a little dorky. Strong enough to manhandle her with ease.
"This is embarrassing…" She murmurs to herself, covering her face. "What's embarrassing?" Renjun pulls her blanket over her head when Chenle starts stripping. She considers confessing, keeping it to herself for as long as she can before Chenle decides to push it out of her. She sighs when the blanket is snatched off her head. She loves the way the Chenle's pajamas sit on her. "I think I'm gonna bring him back."
Chenle grins, "I know where they're keeping their bodies." Renjun doesn't like how prepared she was.
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Renjun feels stiff standing behind Chenle, she glances around anxiously as Chenle whispers whatever charm at the lock. She lets out a pleased noise when the lock becomes undone, letting them inside the morgue. "Are you sure we won't be caught?" Renjun flinches when the door locks itself, making Chenle laugh obnoxiously. "I wouldn't do something I know I can't." Renjun bites back her comment about how Chenle can't handle rejection while continuing to ask people out.
They walk around a little until they find the freezer, Chenle nudges Renjun inside first. "I'm going to deal with the cameras." Which leaves Renjun to locate Mark's pieces. She distinctly remembers watching the news the next morning, listening to them talk about how the accident left two of them unrecognizable and the others two torn apart.
She pulls open the body bags until she finds Mark, flinching in surprise. "Oh, this is so sick.." Chenle's voice makes her tense up, she doesn't understand how Chenle moves around so silently. "They actually got ripped apart."
Renjun frowns the longer she looks at Mark's death-pale face. He's still pretty, alluring even with the facial scarring he suffered. She has to ignore the little voice in the back of her mind, begging for to kiss him now. She can wait.
"I didn't take you for a necrophile," Chenle says now that she's standing beside Renjun, getting to see her face, "I don't see the appeal, but he is hot." Renjun attempts to shove her away when she starts to blush, Chenle just hooks her arm around her waist instead. It doesn't help the matter. "Get off of me so we can put him back together."
That makes Chenle comply, going to look through the rest of the body bags as Renjun moves what's left of Mark onto the stainless steel table. She struggles a little, but she refuses to ask for help right now. "What if I pick what I think looks the best?"
"Don't unless you have to, he's only missing a few things and I want him to be himself." Chenle sighs like she's disappointed, "how heroic, you get to build your own ken doll and you won't even enjoy it. What do you need to put him together?" Renjun ignores her, looking over Mark's corpse. "Left forearm, both legs down from the knees.. middle and ring fingers."
Chenle snickers at that, "he's definitely gonna need those."
"Will you shut up for a few minutes?"
Chenle just grins as she brings limbs to the table, "So snippy." She bites back a giggle when Renjun glares at her.
The freezer settles into silence as Renjun pulls out her needles and spools of thread, Chenle searches for as many fingers as she can find. She has a lot of experience sewing things together, her mother insisted on teaching her when she was little and she practiced on dead animals she could find. So, after not doing it in years she's a little proud of how well it goes. She would never admit that she's disappointed that she couldn't become a surgeon, being stuck in an Academy for Exceptional Young Women makes her a little crazy.
She stitches Mark's fingers back to his hand, feeling her anxieties about everything now. Renjun takes a deep breath, running her knuckles against Mark's cheek. She worries that this is all for nothing, that they snuck out for nonsense and that when they get caught it'll be pointless. It makes her nauseous the more she thinks about it. If she can't bring Mark back will she be worthless? Will Chenle laugh in her face about it?
She silently begs whatever's out there to not let that happen, not now.
"Renjun, don't lost now," she tenses when Chenle puts her hands on her shoulders, "don't forget that we have to be back by dinner, Kun is a snitch." She moves her hands further up her neck, pressing her thumbs into the knot of her spine and her fingers slowly hug her trachea. Waiting to strike, but she never does. Chenle leans in to whisper in her ear, "Don't you want to see him again? Let him touch you?" She hums at the way Renjun turns rosy.
"Get off of me." Renjun tries so hard to not whine. "C'mon, just relax Renjun."
She frowns a little, cupping Mark's face with a gentleness she kept reserved for animals. Please work, please work. When she doesn't get a move on, Chenle begins to rub her nape in an attempt to soothe her, chuckling when Renjun whimpers. She only starts to focus when Chenle hums into her ear.
All she has to do is grab it, she inhales, she just has to grab his soul and bring it back home.
Mark's eyes open with a sharp gasp, and Renjun collapses as if they'd switched places. Chenle steps back in surprise, watching Renjun hit the ground. She winces, "You can't be serious…" She mutters in disbelief, ignoring Mark's whimper of pain. "You did it and you faint? Seriously?" She kicks the bottom of Renjun's loafer, tilting her head at the lack of reaction, "Did you trade your life on accident?" She feels a twist of panic when she kicks her again, when she doesn't wake up Chenle drops to her knees. She rests her head against her chest, listening.
lub-dub, lub-dub.
Chenle relaxes immediately, laying against Renjun for a few more seconds before standing up again. She gives her attention to Mark now that she knows Renjun is fine. He's really pretty, like something sculpted of quartz, even when he looks sickly. "No wonder Renjun was so into you, you're sexy." Chenle's shamelessness makes Mark's face twist up like he'd eaten something sour. His look smoothens out into worry when he looks down at Renjun. It makes Chenle coo and pet him like a dog, giggling when Mark looks disturbed. "Don't worry, she's still here, just sleeping."
Chenle leaves abruptly, leaving Mark to watch over Renjun until she came back. She needed to find clothes for him, they would not be caught because of public indecency. She rather people question why Mark looked as if he'd walked out a Halloween store instead, at least that's believable. "These might be yours, I think all of you looked about the same size.. except Jisung." She tosses the clothes into his lap: dark jeans, bloody white tee, and a college varsity jacket. "Not everyone is blessed to be tall enough for the Warriors, not that their lanky ass would've made it anyway."
"Shut up, my head is throbbing.." Mark's voice sounds grated, Chenle assumes because of the cells decaying. "I feel like I saw Hell," he rubs his temple for a few seconds before dressing himself. He only pauses when he gets to the jacket, staring at something on the inside with teary eyes. He doesn't bother stopping his tears when puts the coat on, looking up at Chenle for some sort of direction. She hates it, especially because she finds it endearing. He looks like a pathetic cat to her.
"It's time to go home, so you have to carry sleeping beauty." She puts her hands up in defense when Mark's brows furrow, "I'm serious! I can't carry her because I'm dainty." Mark hardly looks convinced, she thinks it's probably because she's grinning.
Mark does get up and lift Renjun off the ground, tossing her over his shoulder. "You're a lot stronger than you look.." She reaches for the bicep not holding Renjun in place, giving it a few squeezes before Mark pulls away from her. "Just lead the way and be quiet."
"Did you lose your manners when you died?" Mark narrows his eyes at Chenle, "Shut up."
For once Chenle thinks it's better to not argue, especially when the person in question lifts Renjun like she's a pillow. She doesn't immediately lead them out of the morgue though, stepping behind Mark to look at Renjun. She looks entirely too precious when she's sleeping, even with her frown. Chenle has to ignore the ugly swirl in her chest. "Go." Mark's tone makes her scoff, but she complies leading the way home in complete silence.
She has never been more grateful that people know when to mind their business or not.